Saturday, July 22, 2006

Just another picture to remind us all of the mind set of these Neanderthals who believe that stealing land, bombing homes, bulldozing houses, killing women and children and ignoring UN resolutions is a sound Foreign Policy.

These are the people who get the support of Blair, Beckett, Howell. These are the people who hide behind the coat tails of Cheney and his lackey Bush, Rice and the rest of the AIPAC crew.

Take a good look at them .. these, these are the people who Glorify Terrism - Terrism by the State.

The march ended up in Albert Square in front of the Town Hall. Speeches were made from the base of the statue of Albert the Prince Consort.

Hawk eyed readers will note hte very prominent 6 pointed star of David which crests the facade on the memorial above the statue !

Paradoxically it was the Jewish Victorian and Edwardian mercantalists who developed the massive textile trade upon which so much of the wealth and prosperity of the Empire, the North West Textile industry and Manchester depended.

There has been over the past 4 decades a massive dispersal of the Jews from North Manchester to Israel.

3,000 marched on a fine sunny aftrenoon, well policed, who dealt with the an unpleasant group of thugs from the rowdier end of the Stern Ganng, calmly and effectively.

Organised by Stop the War coalition, with R-E-S-P-E-C-T in attendance but no soldiarity expressed by any other Muslims.(Which is very disappointing) Large section of White Anglo Saxon protestants, happy munching sandwiches and chatting to Plod (who was on double time for this jaunt).

Watched generally in silence by a bemused audience of shoppers and sun worshippers.

H RES 921 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 20-Jul-2006 12:10 PM QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree BILL TITLE: Condemning the recent attacks against the State of Israel, holding terrorists and their state-sponsors accountable for such attacks, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and for other purposes

"We have received information of a plan to divide Baghdad," said Rida Jawad al-Takki, a senior member of the dominant Shia Alliance. "The government is incapable of solving the situation. The situation is terrifying and black."

· Nato commander's view in stark contrast to ministers'· Forces short of equipment and 'running out of time'

Lieutenant General David Richards, head of Nato's international security force in Afghanistan, told a conference at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "The situation is close to anarchy," he said, referring in particular to what he called "the lack of unity between different agencies".

The picture Gen Richards painted yesterday contrasted markedly with optimistic comments by ministers when they agreed earlier this month to send reinforcements to southern Afghanistan at the request of British commanders there.

Financial Times July 22nd 2006Israeli troops mass on border for mass murder

"With Washington resisting (ignoring) international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli military commanders see a clear path to press ahead with air strikes and raids by special forces in the border area as a precursor to a ground offensive that could last several weeks. Lt Gen Dan Halutz, Israeli army chief of staff, said troops would be sent in as needed but the incursions would be “limited”.

The conflict has so far cost the lives of at least 344 people in Lebanon and 34 Israelis, including 18 soldiers, since Israel launched its offensive aimed at freeing 2 captured soldiers and neutralising Hizbollah."

Tony Blair must sit back with satisfaction at the glorious outcome of his slavish policy of supporting the US. God alone knows what Mrs Margaret Beckett thinks.

Meanwhile the peripatetic and increasingly Rentagob Howells is interviewed by the doughty Sara Montgomery on BBC4 "Today" - surprisingly saying he will "not defend what Israel is doing" , but then neither will he condemn it.

Oh Hilary Benn has announced £2mn of humanitarian aid for the Lebanon says Howell .. so that will be alright then.

Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, was bragging last week about bombing Lebanon back 20 years.Now his military colleagues have been stunned by the failure of Israel's massive air war against Hizbullah. The huge, unending aerial assualt has been shrugged off and the rocket attacks continue. So much for Patriot missiles.

"Air power is not the answer here," a senior officer said in despair. 'You have to go from one Hizbullah [weapons] bunker to another. Some of these bunkers are seven meters deep and can't be destroyed by aircraft, even if you could find them."

Military sources attached to Western embassies claim that the braggart Halutz, was convinced that communications and air power rather than troops would rapidly win Israel's wars. Reports persist that air force was surprised by its failure to halt or even reduce Hizbullah rocket strikes.

Only a month ago, Lt. Col. Itay Brun explained the concept of Israel's military. The concept envisioned an army based largely on special operations units and backed by air power.(Which sounds familiar to anyone who hangs around with US military staffs)

As Brun described it, most of Israel's operations would be conducted from the air. Fighter-jets would destroy guerrilla strongholds, helicopters would pick off enemy combatants while unmanned aerial vehicles would select and track targets. Most of the tactics would also be used in a conventional war.

"The next challenge is to win the war against terrorism and guerrillas from the air," Brun, adviser to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, told a military conference.

As a result, the General Staff(not to mention Olmerde ) are panicking and has approved the entry of at least 5,000 troops (mostly reservists and conscripts) in Lebanon in a limited (?)search-and-destroy mission for Hizbullah rockets in villages near the Israeli border. So far, about 3,000 soldiers have been deployed in southern Lebanon, where attack aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles have failed to detect and battle Hizbullah fighters.

To add to their woes , On Friday, two AH-64A Apache attack helicopters (the most advanced killing machine in the world) crashed in northern Israel near the Lebanese border. The military said a pilot was killed (all that expensive training gone)and another 4 soldiers were injured as the helicopters sought to support troops in Lebanon. (Total IDF dead said to be 19)

Israel's advanced technology is failing to detect, and does not stop Hizbullah assaults. Military sources said Hizbullah quickly developed methods to penetrate Israel's C4I [command, control, communications, computers and intelligence] border system, based on advanced sensors and heavy air surveillance.

Hizbullah, sources claim, learned how to disable cameras, confuse users, exploit blind spots, and to cut through the border fence and attack Israeli military positions. They said this was how a small but determined Hizbullah force attacked an Israeli border post on July 12 and abducted 2 soldiers.

The military acknowledged that for more than one hour commanders were unaware that soldiers had been taken to Lebanon. Commanders said they were caught off guard by Hizbullah's mastery of anti-tank weapons, mortars and platoon-sized maneuvers.(Pics circulated at the time showed frantic puzzled and perplexed IDF troops)

"It may be that we don't have our priorities straight," said [Res.] Maj. Gen. Yiftah Ron-Tal, who until 2005 headed the Ground Forces Command.

To some strategists, the Israeli concept of air power was doomed to failure. In a lecture at Tel Aviv University in March, [Res.] Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, a former head of military intelligence research, warned that ground forces and tanks have remained far more flexible and resilient than aircraft.

"The policymakers must understand the limitations of the air force," Amidror said. "My feeling is that the air force does not sufficiently stress its weaknesses."

If the air war is converted to a ground war , memories will recur of the retreat from Lebanon previously. The much vaunted invincibility of the IAF, the F16's is being tested in the melting pot.When will there be calls to sue for peace ?

Which will remain unanswered .... How do Rentagob Howell (on his way now to Beirut) and Angel of Mons Condi negotiate with terrists ?

Friday, July 21, 2006

Counterrorism Blog has a lengthy article about Imad Mugniyah, and there are new links and further information - curiously this name has not appeared in any MSM stories (well the stories Lord Patel has seen).

Hezbollah has conducted a highly successful raid into Israeli territory, attacking a Israeli Defense Force outpost along the Israel-Lebanese border, killing 3 soldiers and capturing 2 after they were wounded. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed when their tank ran over a land mine in Lebanon during follow-up operations to free the captured soldiers. An additional soldier was killed when attempting to recover the bodies of the 4 tank crew.

Hezbollah carefully planned and selected the personnel for this operation, and executed it with precision. The attack began with an artillery barrage along the Israeli frontier. An IDF outpost, with well trained Israeli troops (?), was overrun, and Hezbollah had the time to take the 2 wounded Israeli soldiers hostage. The land mine used to destroy the tank during the Israeli follow-up raid into Lebanon was deliberately set to catch the IDF while pressing forward, and large enough to destroy a well armored main battle tank. The Israeli search and rescue combat team took heavy fire once they crossed the border. Hezbollah laid a trap for the IDF. >>> a lot more

There are persistent reports of strange effects from Israeli shelling in Beirut,a Belgian professor Bachir Cham, is the head of a hospital in Lebanon, claimed by telephone in a press conference organised by the secretary of the Tripoli archbishop, Monsignor Jean Abboud , that the Israeli military is using chemical weapons during its bombing of Lebanon.

"The bodies don't look like they normally do. After an explosion there were no traces of blood loss or subcutaneous haemorrhages [bruises],"

"The hair and sometimes the beard and the moustache remained intact. I found no traces of the pressure wave by the explosion. The colour of the skin was black like a shoe, but the skin was not carbonised or burnt."

Eight mummy-like bodies were taken to the hospital on Monday and photos taken of the corpses. Two children's bodies showed no indication of wounds resulting from an explosion.

"I have the impression that a poisonous product penetrated the body via the skin. Death follows with almost 100 percent certainty," the professor said.

A heart specialist, Mohammad Farran, said letters had been sent to the UN and the EU drawing their attention to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Israel in Lebanon.

The gruesome results of whatever weapon, are sufficently sickening, but the claims should be examined, promptly and by suitable qualified people - if only to discount the stories as fabrications - and not dismissed out of hand as fabciful propaganda.

60 years ago today, the King David Hotel in Jerusalem was the site of the British military command and the British Criminal Investigation Division.

The Irgun terrist gang led by Prime MInister in waiting Menachim Begin ( who dandled the baby Tripni Livni on his knee) chose it as a target after British troops invaded the Jewish Agency June 29, 1946, and confiscated large quantities of documents.

2,500 Jews from all over Palestine had been placed under arrest and information about Jewish Agency operations, including intelligence activities in Arab countries, was taken to the King David Hotel.

Irgun leader Menachem Begin arranged for a bomb made of 3 milk churns to be made and delivered, he stressed his desire to avoid civilian casualties and said three telephone calls were placed, one to the hotel, another to the French Consulate, and a third to the Palestine Post newspaper, warning that explosives in the King David Hotel would soon be detonated.

On July 22, 1946, the calls were made. The call into the hotel was apparently received and ignored. Begin quotes one British official who supposedly refused to evacuate the building, saying: "We don't take orders from the Jews." As a result, when the bombs exploded, the casualty toll was high: a total of 91 killed and 45 injured. Among the casualties were 15 Jews.

There will be a lot of celebrations amongst the aged members of the palach today as a result. It is fitting that a nation born in terrist turmoil continues with it, albeit now on an international scale ably assisted by the money and armaments given to it by their pimp, Uncle Sam.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution, 410-8 vote, to support Israel in its confrontation with Hezbollah guerrillas which also condemns enemies of the Jewish state.

House Republican leader John Boehner,head of the Reich wing of the party, a prominent speaker at the AIPAC gang rally in March this year (along with Veep Cheney) cited Israel's "unique relationship" with the United States as a reason for his colleagues to swiftly go on record supporting Israel.

Jonathan Cook is a journalist / wroter living in Nazareth - make a point of reading his pieces. Thie pice gives the lie to the BBC stories that Hezbollah was aiming at "Christian Nazareth".

Read about the real reason for the Hezbollah rockets hitting near Nazareth -

"Several Israeli armaments factories and storage depots have been built close by Arab communities in the north of Israel, possibly in the hope that by locating them there Arab regimes will be deterred from attacking Israel's enormous armory. In other words, the inhabitants of several of Israel's Arab towns and villages have been turned into collective human shields – protection for Israel's war machine.

Send him an e-mail to let him know we are reading what he sayscook@jkcook.net

Before the strike close to Nazareth late on Sunday night, several Arab villages in the north had been hit by Hezbollah rockets trying to reach these factories. No one at the BBC saw the need to mention these attacks nor the fact that "mostly Muslim" villages had been hit. So why did the strike against Nazareth – and its mistaken Christian status – became part of the story for the BBC?

Because Israel wants to portray Hezbollah, and its leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, as a crazed Islamic militia, as fanatical Muslims who hate Jews and Christians with equal vehemence. This is all part of Israel's claim that it is fighting George Bush's "war on terror." Predictably, the BBC obliged by regurgitating this piece of racist nonsense."

An important meeting scheduled for August 29, when the Richard G. Lugar-Purdue Summit on Energy Security will be held on on Purdue's campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. This will " focus on prospects for other sources of liquid fuels" a matter of great interest and importance to the corn growers of the mid -west and the car drivers of the US.

National leaders from government, business, academia, and various energy-related fields will participate in the invitation-only event, which will cover national security and economic policies, biomass and coal-based fuels, and suggest business and government strategies.

The full text of a statement issued on Wednesday on the conditions in Gaza can be found at the link ... here are extracts ;

"Following the events of 25 June, including the capture of Corporal Gilad Shalit, Israel has carried out numerous military interventions in the Gaza Strip. According to UN sources, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed, including 18 children. Almost 400 Palestinians have been injured, including 108 children. With limited exceptions, Israel has sealed Gaza's borders. Some patients returning home to Gaza after medical treatment abroad, and some patients seeking treatment abroad, have been unable to pass through the Rafah crossing: while waiting, nine Palestinians have died. On the night of 27-28 June, Gaza's only electricity power station was attacked and incapacitated."

Following the attack, the lack of power for pumps is causing a serious water shortage, and affecting sewage disposal, for tens of thousands of households throughout the Gaza Strip. There are reports of sewage leakage, as well as a reduction in municipal waste collection and disposal. Reported cases of diarrhoea have increased by 163% compared to the same period last year. It is possible that communicable diseases, like cholera and poliomyelitis, will re-emerge. Reduced hospital services are dependent upon generators that are unsuitable for constant, long-term use.

The right to the highest attainable standard of health includes access to medical services and also access to adequate sanitation and safe drinking water. The destruction of Gaza's electricity power station is profoundly inconsistent with the health and safety of all civilians living in Gaza, especially the young, sick, infirm and elderly, as well as their right to the highest attainable standard of health, enshrined in the International Bill of Rights and other international human rights instruments.

Moreover, the destruction of Gaza's electricity power station may be a violation of international humanitarian law (sometimes known as the 'laws of war').

The basic rule of international humanitarian law is that parties to a conflict must always distinguish between combatants and civilians. Attacks can only be directed against combatants and military objectives. "

"If the attack on the electricity power station was not in conformity with international humanitarian law it amounts to a war crime. For example, if the attack were disproportionate, it was a war crime.

In these circumstances, I strongly recommend that, as a matter of urgency, an independent enquiry be made to determine whether or not the recent attack on Gaza's electricity power station was a war crime."

News reports at the time ...

"Israeli warplanes fired at least nine missiles at Gaza's only power station, cutting electricity to 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, engineers at the station said. The station's three functioning turbines and a gasoline reservoir were engulfed in flames, raising the specter of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where water pumps are powered by electricity."

In the last decade, the U.S. has sold Israel $ 7.2 billion in weaponry and military equipment, $762 million through Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), more than $6.5 billion through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. In fact, Israel is so devoted to U.S. military hardware that it has the world's largest fleet of F-16s outside the U.S., currently possessing more than 200 jets. The U.S. also gives Israel weapons and ammunition as part of the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, providing these articles completely free of charge. Examples of U.S. weaponry being used by the Israeli army against Palestinian civilians and their property are AH-64 Apache and Cobra attack helicopters, missiles and other heavy arms.

The UK has sold Israel equipment and components for tanks, combat aircraft, combat helicopters, missiles, ammunition, mines, machine guns, tear gas, and electronic equipment for military use. UK companies with known connections with Israel include: the Airtechnology Group, which supplies parts to IMI for the Merkava tank, BAE Systems, which has provided head-up displays for US-built F16s214 and whose subsidiary Rokar International is the current sole-source supplier of counter-measure dispensing systems for the Israeli airforce, and Smiths Group which has supplied missile triggering systems for Apache helicopters.

Israeli Merkava tanks had been equipped with a cooling system made by the Surrey-based Airtechnology Group, and UK components, including missile trigger systems made by Smiths Group, are used in US-made Apache helicopters supplied to Israel, both in action killing and injuring Palestinian civilians in Rafah.

In March 2002, Junior UK Foreign Office Minister, Ben Bradshaw, disclosed that the Israeli armed forces had modified UK Centurion tanks, exported between 1958 and 1970, and were using them as armoured personnel carriers. He stated that this contradicted a written assurance from the Israeli government on 29 November 2000 that "no UK-originated equipment nor any UK-originated systems/ sub systems /components are used as part of the defence force's activities in the territories". The UK government has continued to supply arms and equipment to the Israeli security forces. Such transfers continue despite reports that generic types of such equipment have been used by the Israeli security forces in Rafah to commit human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law.More details of EU military supplies to Israel here

Thursday, July 20, 2006

The Israeli military said warplanes dropped 23 tons of explosives late on Wednesday on a south Beirut bunker. Reports in ME diplomatic circles (not unconnected with Detlev Mehlis the man who fingered Syria as Hariri's killer) say that the Israeli's had information that Imad Mugniyah was present. He is on the FBI top 20 most wanted list - he was responsible for many hi-jacking, kidnapping, assassinations and seizing IDF soldiers - a track record and MO which has placed him in the frame again.

Michael Ledeen, (an unreliable source with many fingers in many spooky pies) at the American Enterprise Institute, claimed he was sighted at the meeting in Damascus by US officials in Damascus (January 22nd 2006) with Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Syrian dictator, Bashar Assad.

At the time Congressional staffers "familiar with America's Iran policy", said that they had heard from foreign "diplomatic sources" that the Mugniyah was at the meeting.

If you wonder why US officials might have seen the meeting of Assad / Ahmadinejad / Imad Mugniyah it will be useful to consider direct talks that the US have had (and through other channels including Ex MI6 officers with Hezbollah over many years see here

23 tons of HE ? Whoever it was they were after, they wanted him dead - or it was a big fireworks show for the networks tonight.

"Already, Bush is ranting about Syria being behind the Hezbollah capture of the Israeli soldiers. But where is the proof?

Who is whispering in his ear? The same people who told him Iraq was maybe months away from an atom bomb, that an invasion would be a "cakewalk," that he would be Churchill, that U.S. troops would be greeted with candy and flowers, that democracy would break out across the region, that Palestinians and Israelis would then sit down and make peace?

"The Republican Party, which had presided over America's rise to manufacturing pre-eminence, has acquiesced in the de-undustrialisation of the nation to gratift transnational corporations whose oligarchs are party financiers. U.S. coporations are shutting factroies here, opening them in China, "outsourcibg" back-office work to India, importaing Asians to take white-collar jobs from Americans, and hiring illegal aliens for service jobs. The Republican Party has signed off on economic treason"

At the end of the book he reminds the reader of Madison's warning...

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.

War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts and taxes are the known instrument for bringing the many under the domination of the few ... No nation can preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare."

There is a great deal of hoopla in the Press / TV / meejah about an imminent trip by Condileezza Rice to Jerusalem to apply some "pressure" on the Israeli Gubment - preceded maybe by the exciting spectacle of Tony Blair, taking up the task of warm up comedy man for her.

To evaluate the utility of such another "drive by diplomacy" mission by the lady in her jet propelled Ferragamo pumps one might look at the official record of the recent trip by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when she traveled at breakneck speed to Pakistan, Afghanistan and then onward to Moscow for the Group of 8 G-8 ministerial meeting. June 26th to June 30th (White House record)

For example to see what a deep and profound understanding she had then, and her ability to anticpate events in Gaza / Israel / Lebanon consider this section of an ...Interview With Charlie Wolfson of CBS

Q. ...." Most pressing today is Gaza, it seems. I know you've been in meetings here, but have you had any reports at all about any progress in getting the Israeli soldier freed? And also, have you given any thought at all to going to the region to see if you can do any good?"

SECRETARY RICE: " Well, we do need to concentrate at this point diplomatically on trying to get the release of this Israeli soldier and also doing everything that all of us can to help set the calm in the region,(? calm !) which we hope will re-emerge. I think that the time is right for simply trying to mobilize the international community.(*) I have made phone calls, talked to President Abbas. I talked to Foreign Minister Livni. I know that my colleagues have talked to the Egyptians and to others (Which others ?). We're going to continue to try to mobilize the international community so that we can get past this incident to get this soldier released and then get back on a course (?) that would lead to, eventually, a negotiated solution between the parties? "

When the lady visited the North West of England she was despised and derided - and the UK is the US's major ally!

This is of course to overlook the primary purpose of any such trip to Jerusalem / Beirut which would be simply to represent the interests of her sponsors, AIPAC, ADL and the Neo-con circus on the Beltway, etc., and to call by to promote and protect the interests of Israel ... and no doubt ensure further supplies of weapons , ammunitions , missiles, technology, training , and intelligence.... as well as continuing support by the US zionist lobbies in the forthcoming elections.

Those who acted on the note "UK Coal on the move" last week will not be disappointed with either by the 7p rise since or the news of a move into profitability or the arrival of John Whittaker's Peel Land and Property Investments Limited who have taken a 5.07% stake of 7,560,150 shares, to join Channel Hotels and Properties Ltd who have extended their holdings to 3.11 % by 200,000 shares in the company.Preliminary results

UK Coal anticipates reporting a first half year profit beforetaxation of £7m (H1 2005: £31m loss), including a revaluation gain on investmentproperties of £5m (H1 2005: £5m). Sales for the six-month period were £193m (H12005: £164m).

The group will announce its first-half results on Sept 6.

"UK COAL welcomes the DTI's Energy Review report, which underscores the important long-term contribution of coal-fired generation and aims to optimise the use of economical domestic coal reserves. In particular, we are pleased with theGovernment's decision to convene a Coal Forum, which will bring together electricity generators and coal producers to help find solutions to secure the long-term future of domestic coal production."

The Coal Forum was welcomed by the TUC, having abandoned the Miners years ago. They reasonably and necessarily call for ..

"The TUC and mining unions have argued that clean coal should make a long-term contribution to the UK's energy needs - and greenhouse gas targets.

They will now be pressing the Government to support the recommendations of the Clean Coal Task Group, the joint industry/union/Government body that has already published a framework for clean coal in the UK, allied to developing the UK's indigenous coal reserves.http://www.a2mediagroup.com/?c=134&a=8168The Clean Coal Task Group has already produced a programme for clean coal including:

* High level Energy Review endorsement for Clean Coal in Britain and indigenous coal production as part of a diverse generation portfolio. * Actions by generators and coal suppliers towards securing long-term supplies of indigenous coal at prices competitive with imported coal. (i.e Government subsidies in some form or other) * A change in the planning regime to remove the 'presumption against'. *Urgent adjustment to the European Emissions Trading Scheme, to remove perverse disincentives for Clean Coal-fired power stations."

A letter from Mitsui Babcock, Renfrew in the Financial Times today (Not online) boosts the claim of the open cast mining industry - evidently the "to remove perverse disincentives for Clean Coal-fired power stations. " are going to be much argued over as the absurd EU ETS scheme founders and eventually collapses as the UK becomes increasingly desperate to generate electricity.

Cash in now after global capitalism helped destroy the UK indigenous energy resource - get into UK Coal and AB Ports who are building the huge new docks at HUll to handle coal and petcoke (for Drax - which owners have seen their shares rise from £5 in December 2005 to £8.80(ish) today).

This is essential reading for anyone interested in the problems facing the UK due to years of neglect , havering and time wasting - resulting in a looming energy deficit - long forecast by teh Forthcoming UK Energy Deficit (FCUKED).

These are the pithy, short sharp and barbed criticism Mitsui Babcock raise ;

Since the Government’s 2003 Energy White Paper

1. Emissions of carbon dioxide have risen in the UK2. Investment in renewables has stalled despite financial encouragement through the Renewables Obligation3. The UK has experienced record prices for gas and seen a halt toinvestment in gas from generating companies (not quite with Centricas plant at Devon due in 3 years)4.The Emissions Trading Scheme has failed to significantly affect the mix of energygeneration or trigger investment in carbon emissions reduction. (And is sue to collapse)

5.Security of supply, environmental and cost issues are now impacting on the confidence of the UK plc - concerns over the current situation were raised by the Confederation of British Industry in December 2005.

6. Britain escaped the effects of the gas row between Ukraine and Russia in January 2006, but the dispute demonstrated the real possibility that overseas gas supplies could be cut.

According to the International Energy Agency, proven coal reserves worldwide are equivalent to lmost 200 years of production at current rates and exceed those of oil (36-44 years) and gas (66 Years) by a wide margin. Coal can be stockpiled safely in the open air and its supply increased quickly whenever it is needed. (they don't mention the fact that UK PLc has to pay for it, and boast have to move it round - we haven't shipped coal by air since the Berlin airlift in the 5o's)

Here is their prescription for action ...

• Clean Coal Technology is the only short term solution to environmental, economic and security of supply challenges with a vital role as a long term solution within a diverse energy portfolio.• Government must invest in Clean Coal to stabilise energy prices. Clean Coal solves the short term environmental and supply challenges while delivering cheaper electricity than gas or renewables.• Government must proactively ensure security of supply through a diverse energy portfolio. The Emissions Trading Scheme has failed to affect the energy mix or reduce carbon emissions.• Government must invest in Clean Coal if the UK is to close the UK's energy gap; gas prices are rising, nuclear is for the long term and renewables are clean but only supply energy intermittently.• Government must lead industry investment in today’s Clean Coal Technology, ensuring National Allocation Plan CO2 Allowances trigger investment in this technology during the 2008 - 2012 period, mirroring Germany’s recent success in this area and subsequent rush forClean Coal.• Government must fund demonstrations of CO2 capture and storage during the period 2008 to 2015, proving this second stage Clean Coal Technology, removing almost all emissions. It should also ensure all future coal plants are ‘capture ready’ and compatible with the emerging technology.• Government must also invest in nuclear power to replace existing plants. Nuclear energy is climate friendly, a complement to Clean Coal and essential to securing a diverse energy portfolio.• Government policy should be determined by the suitability of technologies for global application, tapping into the export potential (?) for UK plc and maximising the environmental impact worldwide.• Government policy should prescribe the levels for each energy source (max and min) within the diverse portfolio, recognising the relative prices for each and the timescales to build up capacity.

What goes around comes around.

In 1945, Nye Bevan said "The UK is island is mainly made of coal, and surrounded by a sea full of fish. Only an organising genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time". Organising genius? Step forward the EU. As a result of gaping holes in European state aid rules, that allow Germany to pay massive subsidies to its miners, Britain's remaining mines are uncompetitive, and we are now a major coal importer - up 29% last year. Least said about the impact of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and that twat Bradshaw at DEFR the better - as they have allowed Spanish fishermen to hoover up all the fish in the North Sea, creating an ecological disaster area in what were once the world's richest fisheries (following the dumb Newfies earlier) -- and a prime British national asset.

Mr. Ian Taylor (Esher and Walton) (Con): May I switch the subject to what was a backdrop to the G8 summit—the position of President Putin and his attitude to the use of energy almost as a weapon of diplomacy? Did the Prime Minister have time to talk to President Putin about what is going on in Russia, and about what Russia’s ambitions are in the “near area”, as he calls it? That is particularly relevant, given that the need for this country to invest in nuclear power is partly due to our need for a sense of assurance about our sources of energy, because of the threat that Russia may one day use our need for energy against us.

The Prime Minister: We did discuss that, and the Russians gave a clear assurance that they would abide by the charter on energy that we drew up and promulgated at the summit. I expressed my view, as I always do, that the only way to make progress in Russia or elsewhere is by adherence to democratic principles. To be fair, the Russian President made it very clear that he understands people’s anxieties about security of supply, which was the reason why he felt it right to adopt and agree to the charter that we all signed. The hon. Gentleman is right that one of the reasons why it is so important to have a balanced energy policy is to ensure that we are not too reliant on any one source.

1. 20% of daily calories consumed are from beverages.2. Half the excess calories consumed are from beverages, often with added sugar.3. Sugared beverages have increased as portion of the daily US diet from 50 cals. in 1977 and trebled to 150 calories in 2001. - that's 15lbs body weight per year.

Many people have therefore turned to the healthy (?) alternative and swagger down and round the gym clutching their fancy bottled water.

So, in 2005, US consumers spent $10.1 billion to drink nearly 8 billion gallons of bottled water -- that's 26 gallons per person -- and paid more per gallon than for gasoline. If you buy and drink bottled water in the US - read on, you might change your mind.

A four-year study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group, found 60 to 70 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States is exempt from FDA bottled water standards,(because bizarrely FDA says its rules do not apply to water packaged and sold within the same state), including carbonated water, seltzer, Club soda, tonic water as well as flavored and fortified waters. "Even when bottled waters are covered by FDA's specific bottled water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rules that apply to big city tap water," the NRDC found.

For example most cities using surface water have had to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems (or more serious problems in vulnerable people), yet bottled water companies don't have to do this. City water tests have to be undertaken by certified labs but most bottlers test in house.

Tap water can't contain fecal coliform bacteria and is tested 100 times or more a month for these pathogens. Amazingly bottled water doesn't face these rules and is only tested once a week. Public water systems report their test results, "none of the bottled water test results have to be made public.

The FDA examined the feasibility of asking bottled water companies to provide test results to the public and concluded "that it wasn't feasible," says the Bottled Water Association (It is in the EU). But because bottled water is an FDA-regulated product, they say that if a product was "out of compliance it would not be available in the marketplace." Consumers who want to see test results "can contact the company directly."

In the UK Drinking Water Quality is regulated by The Drinking Water Inspectorate which was formed in 1990 and acts as the independent regulator of the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the water companies in England and Wales. The powers and duties of the Inspectorate come from the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Water Act 2003.

They produced their 16th Annual report on 28th June 2006 for the year 2005.99.96% of tests met the required standards compared with 99.94% the previous year. Whatever it costs , it can be relied upon to be clean and healthy.

Unlike the weak FDA regulations, the EU rules require natural mineral bottled water's labels to state the composition of the water and the specific water source, and mandate that only one water label may be used per source of water. Similarly, recent EU standards applicable to all bottled water also are far stricter than FDA standards.

NUMBERS 33:53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

"This country exists as the fulfillment of a promise made by God Himself. It would be ridiculous to ask it to account for its legitimacy." - Golda Meir, Le Monde, 15 October 1971

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

During his rather charmingly self-depreciative luncheon conversation with President Bush at St. Petersburg about Syria and sweaters, did the Prime Minister—after he had switched off the microphone—make any attempt to explain to the President that one of the root causes of the spread of chaos in the middle east has been the failure, over 40 years, of successive American Administrations to persuade Israel to accept United Nations resolution 242, which requires it to return to its legal frontiers of 1967?

That failure has caused an inevitable degree of bitterness, which has led to the creation and sustaining of various guerrilla militias which are now increasingly regarded as part of an Islamic jihad.

Prime Minister...."this began with an unprovoked attack by Hezbollah on Israel,"

Israeli aerial attacks on Lebanon, now include industrial sites - hitting the production facilities of at least 5 companies in key industrial sectors - including the country's largest dairy farm, Liban Lait; a paper mill; a packaging firm and a pharmaceutical plant - have been disabled or completely destroyed. Up to 15 factories have been hit, according to some estimates.Industry leaders say the losses will cripple the economy for decades to come.

A plastics factory in Tyre, a tissue paper factory in Sidon, a paper mill and a medical supply company in Beirut's southern suburbs and Liban Lait in the Bekaa were all almost completely destroyed.

The mass exodus by foreign nationals is the expression of the developed nation's impatience with Israel and the US. There is evidently no way to effort being made to control the savage bombatdment of both Lebanon and Gaza.

As the meltdown in Iraq continues, the Governments see no traction in supporting the uS or Israel and have simple folded, cut, and are running - which is the advice they give to their citizens. This policy was pre-meditated, see the smooth plans of the French, Greeks to move their citizens and the swift and successful diaspora of the Danes.

"A total of eight planes landed at Copenhagen Airport during the night and early Wednesday morning, bringing some 1500 people to safety from escalating violence in the Middle East."

Meanwhile Tony Blair awaits the triumphal arrival inn Jerusalem of AIPAC's principal member of the US administration to arrive - REAL SOON NOW !

"Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks has accused a group of MPs of "over-egging" the risk of electricity shortages."

The UK wholesale electricity market on Monday evening was trading at around £80 per Megawatt Hour - by yesterday this had jumped to £260 per megawatt hour a rise of 300%.

National Grid issued a warning of electricity shortages due to an unexpected increase in consumption due to the hot weather (air conditioning maybe ?), planned outages for summer maintenaqnce and the loss of some generating capacity due to other problems. The basic problemn is the system is tuned to run at 87% utilization - gone the days post war when it was 55% / 60% run by UK mined coal.

For example Eon UK, (AKA Powergen), has run its oil-fired power station at Isle of Grain in Kent because an accident closed their Ratcliffe , Notts unit two weeks ago.

Higher energy prices naturally produce inflationary pressure in the UK economy, yesterday , the Office for National Statistics (OMS) the consumer price index increased from 2.2 in May to 2.5 per cent in June - which could expect to impact on decisions on interest rates.

"On the basis of these responses we have made only a small downwardrevision to the supply base case that we put forward for consultation. Nonetheless,a high degree of uncertainty remains, with a wide range of possible outcomesaround the revised base case."

"The uncertain background translates into a wide range of potential values for the2006/07 storage safety monitors."

Electricity

"Due to continued high energy prices no growth in demand has been assumed between winter 2005/06 and winter 2006/07."

"In our May document, we asked if there is scope for investment prior to winter2006/07 to provide back-up capability at existing power stations. Most respondentshave said that such scope is infeasible due to the significant challenges posed bythe need for physical modifications, environmental authorisations, planning, outages," i.e it is not worth bringing in old capacity best work out the bag os assets we have as much as possible.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "Israel will continue to combat Hezbollah and will continue to strike targets of the group until captured Israeli soldiers are released and Israeli citizens are safe from attacks." ... to UN delegation.(Forever picking his nose)Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni "A cease-fire would be impossible unless the captured soldiers are returned unharmed and Lebanese troops are deployed along the countries' border, with a guarantee that the Hezbollah militia would be disarmed." to UN delegation.

Nevertheless, Livni said, "We are beginning a diplomatic process alongside the military operation that will continue.The diplomatic process is not meant to shorten the window of time of the army's operation, but rather is meant to be an extension of it and to prevent a need for future military operations," she told reporters at a Ministerial Press conference.

General Dan Halutz Israel's army chief of staff, said his military would target infrastructure and "turn back the clock in Lebanon by 20 years" if the soldiers were not freed.

Maj. Gen. Udi Adam, Head of IDF northern command, said , "The offensive against Hezbollah, which has mostly been limited to Israel's air force and navy, would continue.I think that we should assume that it will take a few more weeks,"

Avi Dichter Public Security Minister , "Israel may consider a prisoner swap with Lebanon to win the release of two soldiers captured by Hezbollah, but only after its military operation is complete. If one of the ways to bring home the soldiers will be negotiations on the possibility of releasing Lebanese prisoners, I think the day will come when we will also have to consider this," Dichter told Army Radio.

Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot Israel says there is strong support for the military operation against Hezbollah, according a to poll they undertook. It said 86 % of Israelis believe the operation is justified, 81 % want it to continue and 58 % it should last until Hezbollah is destroyed. ( All + - 4.3%)

Meanwhile the UN delegation waffled ;

Kofi Annan in Belgium said any international stabilization force must be "considerably" larger and better armed than the U.N.'s current force in Lebanon, which numbers some 2,000 troops and long has been viewed by all sides in the Middle East as ineffectual and lacking a strong mandate.

Terje Roed-Larsen, U.N. negotiator Terje Roed-Larsen said in Jerusalem after meeting Livni that "concrete ideas" had been presented to the Israeli government to solve the crisis, and that Israel would deliberate on them in the coming days.He did not say what they were.

I'll go with Dan Halutz .The Israeli's will bomb Lebanon back 20 years or even into the stone age until the conscience of the world is sufficiently sickened that the leaders (?) are forced to make Israeli stop. One wonders why no-fly zones could be instituted in Iraq but not the Lebanon - we have had the spectacle of Western nations ( US / Canada / EU )seeking agreement from the Israeli's for the embarking of refugees from a soveriegn territory of a UN member.

By so doing they are complicit in the policy of wholesale bombing of civilians, in collective punishment, and various Geneva and Hague conventions. These actions are of a bus queue of people, watching a ghastly gang rape take place on the other side of the road and collectively saying how dreadful it is, ..... but they have a bus to catch.

By so doing they are accepting the start of World War III - which is what they effectively set their hand to, when they illegally invaded Iraq.

The course is charted, arrogant use of the military is all the US ruling class has to maintain its dominance. After Iraq, asymmetric warfare, "terrorism," will be directed at Americans, American institutions, American targets, and American allies. When the rest of the world recognizes how thinly spread the US military is, thinly spread physically, and economically, because it is not a sustainable institution in its current incarnation, rebellions will occur. Indeed they have already started. The response of the weakening US will be to lash out, often with unforeseeable consequences, just as the consequences of this impending invasion are unforeseeable, and unknown.

Sturm and Drang

Military might is a sign of strength, but the US military is not invincible worldwide. America's use of force as both first and last resort is a sign of profound systemic weakness. Its employment today will destabilize the world, and cause us to stumble into a Third World War: The War of Unintended Consequences.

Be careful however that, if in the "fog of war" the Israelis decide to resolve the Palestinian problem, a lá Sabra and Shattila camps.

Which is exactly what Gaza abandonment was. Predicted and predictable. That Twat Blair fell for it and this "colossus that would bestride the world" accepts (what he thought was a private conversation with his buddy Dubya) that his intervention and role is that of a warm up comedian - to be followed by AIPAC's main (they have many) representative in US Government, Jack Straws's ex, Condileezza Rice. "Oh my Boy! What a girl!" says Blair.

David Hunt writes a weekly "Signs of the Economic Apocalypse" , here is a section of his 10/7/06 remarks which seem worth broadcasting... also go to his excellent site which Lord Patel never misses. As the world watches Israel destroy another nation state , pound it's cities, rooads, airport, into dust , destroys it's fuel dumps and it's citizens (and even visitors) into charred meat and gristle. As Halliburton erects the curious camps which no-one has a purpose for, as the oilygarchs of Russia flex their muscles, as the Shia arc is emboldened by the fire a refelection of a past period of turmoil is instructive. Cheney is personally investing in short term municipal bonds expecting short term interest rate hiles and heavy in European bonds in anticipation of a dollar decline.... does he know something we don't ?........

A new book by Newsweek journalist Jonathan Alter about Franklin Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office, The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006), paints a startling picture of the political climate in the United States in the dark days of early 1933. Among the political establishment, there was overwhelming support for a fascist dictatorship. Alter points out that in early 1933, the word ‘dictatorship’ had a positive connotation. It was a near miss, we almost had fascist America seventy years ago.

Here is Alter on the economic situation in March 1933:

The American economic system had gone into a state of shock, its vital organs shutting down as the weekend began. On Friday, the New York Stock Exchange suspended trading indefinitely and the Chicago Board of Trade bolted its doors for the first time since its founding in 1848. The terrifying “runs” that began the year before on more than five thousand failing banks had stripped rural areas of capital and now threatened to overwhelm American cities. At dawn on Saturday, only a few hours before FDR’s swearing in, the governors of New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania signed orders closing the banks in those states indefinitely; which meant that thirty-four out of forty-eight American states, including the largest ones, now had no economic pulse…

As frightening as life had become since the Great Depression began, this was the bottom, though no one knew that at the time. The official national unemployment rate stood at 25 percent, but that figure was widely considered to be low. Among non-farm workers, unemployment was more than 37 percent, and in some areas, like Toledo, Ohio, it reached 80 percent. Business investment was down 90 percent from 1929. Per-capital real income was lower than three decades earlier, at the turn of the century. If you were unfortunate enough to have put your money in a bank that went bust, you were wiped out. With no idea whether any banks would reopen, millions of people hid their few remaining assets under their mattresses, where no one could steal them at night without a fight. The savings that many Americans had spent a lifetime accumulating were severely depleted or gone, along with 16 million of their jobs. When would they come back? Maybe never. The great British economist John Maynard Keynes was asked by a reporter the previous summer if there were any precedent for what had happened to the world’s economy. He replied yes, it lasted four hundred years and was called the Dark Ages.

Late in 1933, the journalist Earle Looker peered backwards several months to assess the Hobbesian states as FDR assumed office: “Capitalism itself was at the point of dissolution. Would men continue to work for profit as our forefathers understood it and as our people now understand it? This was a real question, for money was now useless. Would it be necessary soon to organize our families against the world, to fight, physically, for food, to keep shelter, to hold possessions?” (Jonathan Alter, The Defining Moment, pp. 1-3)

Most people at that time saw at only two paths out of the crisis of world capitalism: communism and fascism. A few saw social democracy as another way out. Roosevelt when he assumed the presidency was actually poised between fascism and social democracy, and, if Alter is to be believed, had enough support for either option that he was facing a free-will choice. It was a close call.

Roosevelt’s Inaugural Address had begun the process of restoring hope, but not everyone caught the new mood right away. The press coverage that morning largely downplayed or ignored FDR’s line: “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The New York Times and most other newspapers relegated the line to their inside pages, while focusing instead on the vivid wartime allusions he employed five times during his speech—martial metaphors that suggested that there was, in fact, plenty to fear after all. The greatest applause line from the large crowd on the east side of the Capitol came when Roosevelt said that if his rescue program was not quickly approved: “I shall ask Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis: broad executive power to wage war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.”

The United States had not been “invaded by a foreign foe” since 1812, but this felt like it. Arthur Krock of the Times compared the mood in Washington on Inauguration Day to a ‘beleagered capital in wartime.’ For the first time since the Civil War, armed men patrolled the entrances to federal buildings, while machine gunners perched on rooftops. Editors knew that that the world war, just thirteen years in the past, had concentrated great power in the hands of Woodrow Wilson’s government. To them it looked as if FDR were proposing the same thing. And so the approving headline FOR DICTATORSHIP IF NECESSARY ran in the New York Herald-Tribune on March 5, with similar notes stuck in the Inaugural coverage of other major papers.

Exactly what was “necessary”? No one knew, including Roosevelt. Even before being sworn in, he had decided on a federal bank “holiday” (a festive term he preferred to Herbert Hoover’s “moratorium”) to give the people who now ran the country a few days to figure out what to do. Then what? Should he assume wartime authority on a temporary basis? Call out the Army to protect banks and maintain order? Mobilize veterans? Unrest was already growing in the farm belt, where mobs had broken up bankruptcy auctions. Four thousand men had occupied the Nebraska statehouse and five thousand stormed Seattle’s county building. The governor of North Carolina predicted a violent revolution, and police in Chicago clubbed teachers who had not been paid all school year. Everywhere bank runs threatened to turn violent. By the Inaugural weekend, police in nearly every American city were preparing for an onslaught of angry depositors. At least some were certain to be armed.

With so many banks involved, the U.S. Army—including National Guard and Reserve units—might not be large enough to respond. This raised the question of whether the new president should establish a makeshift force of veterans to enforce some kind of martial law. The tempation must have been strong. It hardly seems a coincidence that FDR decided that the first radio speech of his presidency would be specially addressed to a convention of the American Legion, the million-member veterans’ organization co-founded after World War I by his fifth cousin Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. (Ibid., pp. 3-4)

The American Legion occupies a special place in the history of American Fascism. Alter found a draft statement that was handed to Roosevelt before his first radio address calling for such a fascist force:

The short speech was scheduled for that Sunday evening at 11:30 p.m. EST, with all the radio networks carrying it live across the country. In preparing for the broadcast, someone in the small Roosevelt inner circle offered the new president a typewritten draft of suggested additions that contained this eye-popping sentence:

As new commander-in-chief under the oath to which you are still bound I reserve to myself the right to command you in any phase of the situation which now confronts us.

This was dictator talk—an explicit power grab. The new president was contemplating his “right” to command World War I veterans—mostly men in their late thirties—who had long since reentered civilian life. It was true that they had sworn an oath to the United States on entering military service and that the 1919 founding document of the American Legion pledged members to help “maintain law and order” and show “devotion to mutual helpfulness.” But the commander in chief had no power over them. Here Roosevelt would be poised to mobilize hundreds of thousands of unemployed and desperate men by decree, apparently to guard banks or put down rebellions or do anything else he wished during “any phase” of the crisis, with the insistence that they were dutybound to obey his concocted “command.”

That word—“dictator”—had been in the air for weeks, endorsed vaguely as a remedy for the Depression by establishment figures ranging from the owners of the New York Daily News, the nation’s largest circulation newspaper, to Walter Lippmann, the eminent columnist who spoke for the American political elite. “The situation is cricital, Franklin. You may have no alternative but to assume dictatorial powers,” Lippmann had told FDR during a visit to Warm Springs on February 1, before the crisis had escalated. Alfred E. Smith, the Democratic nominee for president in 1928, recalled with some exaggeration that “during the World War we wrapped the Constitution in paper, put it on the shelf and left it there until the war was over.” The Depression, Smith concluded, was a similar “state of war.” Even Eleanor Roosevelt, more liberal than her husband, privately suggested that a “benevolent dictator” might be what the country needed. The vague idea was not a police state but deference to a strong leader unfettered by Congress or the other inconveniences of democracy. Amid the crisis, the specifics didn’t go beyond more faith in government by fiat.

Within a few years, “dictator” would carry sinister tones, but—hard as it is to believe now—the word had a reassuring ring that season. So did “storm troopers,” used by one admiring author to describe foot soldiers of the early New Deal, and “concentration camps,” a generic term routinely applied to the work camps of the Civilian Conservation Corps that would be established by summer across the country. After all, the Italian Fascist Benito Mussolini, in power for a decade, had ginned up the Italian economy and was popular with everyone from Winston Churchill to Will Rogers to Lowell Thomas, America’s most influential broadcaster. “If ever this country needed a Mussolini, it needs one now,” said Senator David Reed of Pennsylvania, outgoing President Hoover’s closest friend on Capitol Hill. The speech draft prepared for FDR brought to mind Mussolini addressing his black-shirt followers, many of whom were demobilized veterans who joined Il Duce’s private army. (Ibid., pp. 4-6)

The propaganda machine, owned by the elite, was ready to be put into action in the defense of the property of the rich:

The most powerful American publisher, William Randolph Hearst, seemed to favor dictatorship. The Hearst empire extended to Hollywood, where Hearst that winter had personally supervised the filming of an upcoming hit movie called Gabriel Over the White House that was meant to instruct FDR and prepare the public for a dictatorship. The movie’s hero is a president played by Walter Huston who dissolves Congress, creates an army of the unemployed, and lines up his enemies before a firing squad. FDR not only saw an advance screening of the film, he offered ideas for script rewrites and wrote Hearst from the White House that he thought it would help the country. (Ibid., p. 6)

Now what would happen if the same economic conditions were faced by Bush and Cheney? In 1933, at least, the United States was lucky:

But on March 5, 1933, as astonishing thing happened—or more precisely, did not happen. The draft of that American Legion radio address was destined not for the ears of millions of veterans and other Americans, but for nothing more than the speech files of the Roosevelt Library, where it lay unexamined for more than seventy years. The five-minute speech that FDR delivered that night built on the military tone of the Inaugural. He argued for the ‘sacrifice and devotion’ of wartime and noted that it was ‘a mistake to assume that the virtues of war differ essentially from the virtues of peace.’ But there was no hint of the need for a private army.

No one knows who wrote the unused draft or why FDR discarded the suggested additions, but something inside the man kept him from moving in an extraconstitutional direction. Some combination of personal and democratic conviction set him on a different course, at once more traditional and bold. This most pragmatic of modern American presidents sensed the unworkable nature of untrammeled power, even in the hands of the only person he completely trusted—himself.

In the days ahead, FDR moved in the opposite direction, passing the word on Capitol Hill that he did not believe in a constitutional dictatorship and asking his friend Felix Frankfurter to tell Lippmann to stop hawking dictatorship and disrespect of Congress in his columns. (Ibid., p. 7)

Bush, of course, is chomping at the bit for his chance. posted by Donald Hunt

Monday, July 17, 2006

In November last year, Lord Patel published the contents of a "leaked" text of a conversation between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair here it is.

After that is the one recorded and published round the world today ... SPOT THE DIFFERENCESecret Bush/Blair conversation revealed ? November 2005

A slim, rather crumpled brown envelope has been thrust under my door, which regrettably Tyson my Chihuana has mauled more than somewhat…

On opening I was surprised to find the details of a conversation which appears to be between a Prime Minister and a President. There are insufficient details to precisely determine , place , date , time …

… so I tell you Prime Minister these guys are wandering about there. Clapping their f(inaudible) hands, wearing bedsheets, strutting about like they own the f (inaudible) ing place .

They got this Radio Station, like VOA I tell you…

PRIME MINISTERVOA ?PRESIDENTVoie of America, you know propaganda and all that c (inaudible).. called Al Jaz .PRIME MINISTERAl Jazeera ? The service funded by the Qatari Monarchy that took up all the staff from the Saudi Orbit channel the BBC World Service used to run up till 1966, and then closed down ?PRESIDENTYes. I guess the same time they gave Saddam one of our Boeing 747’s for a present. Well it’s spewing out all this Arab c(inaudible), Osama BL BS. Beheadings.. I tell you… now Fallujah… these guys are (inaudible) and (inaudible).We should bomb the C(inaudible)… bo(inaudible) these (inaudible) is too b(inaudible) too good for the (inaudible).PAGE RIPPED… so let me get this right then Prime Minister. You say don’t bomb these b(inauduble) and the BBC will set up a NEW Arab service to severely diss these b(audible).When can we set this up ?PRIME MINISTERWell let’s see it’s April now, let’s say mid October next year. WE could mmove fast on this, the BBC could be ready I guess, £30 Mn should set it up. Very popular the BBC you know President. They have really good shows. The Archers .PRESIDENTYou mean like Rush Limbaugh ?PRIME MINISTER(coughs) Well….er…PRESIDENTSo that’s it then Prime Minister we bomb them with BS eh ? C/O the FO ? Nudge Nudge wink wink. Shower the sh(inaudible) with sound eh?Prime Minister I like your style.. Softlee softlee killee monkey eh nudge nudge wink wink.

Hey you still using that Colgate toothpaste. Need some more ?Now where was I …let’s open another bottle. G(inayduble) it’s hot in here. Stinking Texas weather, give me Connecticut anytime…

Paper torn.

…Yes President I’ll get on to it straight away.Yes Sir. Straight away. Yes Sir.

Secret Bush/Blair conversation revealed ? July 16th 2006

Bush: Yo Blair How are you doing?Blair: I'm just...Bush: You're leaving?Blair: No, no, no not yet. On this trade thingy...[inaudible]Bush: yeah I told that to the manBlair: Are you planning to say that here or not?Bush: If you want me toBlair: Well, it's just that if the discussion arises...Bush: I just want some movement.Blair: YeahBush: Yesterday we didn't see much movementBlair: No, no, it may be that it's not, it maybe that it's impossibleBush: I am prepared to say itBlair: But it's just I think what we need to be an oppositionBush: Who is introducing the tradeBlair: AngelaBush: Tell her to call 'emBlair: YesBush: Tell her to put him on them on the spot.Thanks for the sweaters it's awfully thoughtful of youBlair: It's a pleasureBush: I know you picked it out yourselfBlair: Oh, absoultely, in fact I knitted it myselfBush: What about Kofi [inaudible] his attitude to ceasefire and everything else ... happensBlair: Yeah, no I think the [inaudible] is really difficult. We can't stop this unless you get this international business agreed.Bush: YeahBlair: I don't know what you guys have talked about but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiralBush: I think Condi is going to go pretty soonBlair: But that's that's that's all that matters. But if you, you see it will take some time to get that togetherBush: Yeah, yeahBlair: But at least it gives people...Bush: It's a process, I agree. I told her your offer to...Blair: Well...it's only if I mean... you know. If she's got a..., or if she needs the ground prepared as it were... Because obviously if she goes out, she's got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talkBush: You see, the ... thing is what they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's overBlair: [inaudible]Bush: [inaudible]Blair: SyriaBush: Why?Blair: Because I think this is all part of the same thingBush: Yeah.Blair: What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if we get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way...Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweetBlair: He is honey. And that's what the whole thing is about. It's the same with IraqBush: I felt like telling Kofi to call, to get on the phone to Bashad [Bashir Assad](9a and make something happenBlair: YeahBush: [inaudible]Blair:Bush: We are not blaming the Lebanese governmentBlair: Is this...? (at this point Blair taps the microphone in front of him and the sound is cut.)

With thanks to Adam Boulton and all the other guys at SKY - Adam is getting married soon by the way.

Sounds like Pete Cook and Dudley Moore to me, or a couple of drunk hysbands frightened to go home and face the music and the missus.

The U.S. Justice Department has indicted 11 people and four companies, including BetOnSports (UK:B) for racketeering, conspiracy and fraud. (UK:BSS122.50, -25.90, -17.5% ) BetOnSports is based in Costa Rica and is listed on the London Stock Exchange and their CEO David Carruthers (not a US citizen) was arrested in Dallas on Sunday on the charges. Carruthers was detained by members of the FBI and the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) at around 4pm local time with a warrant for his arrest.

He is believed to have spent a night in Tarrant county jail and is not expected to get bail.

Some reports claim Carruthers will be charged under the federal racketeering statutes or RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act).

"Illegal commercial gambling across state and international borders is a crime," said U.S Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway.

The indictment seeks forfeiture of $4.5 billion.

There is considerable speculation about BetonSports founder, Gary Kaplan, who also goes by the name of Greg Champion and "G". Kaplan is believed not to have entered the United States for well over three years following the indictment of another company executive for charges unrelated to online gambling.

Online gambling is a US$12bn worldwide industry and well over 50% of the revenues are made in the US, but none of the world's estimated 2,500 gambling sites are based there. The 1961 Interstate Wire Act bans gambling over the telephone (Remember "The Sting") and, according to the Department of Justice, over the internet as well, although this has not yet been tested in court.

BREAKING NEWS

New York Times covers the story without adding much factually today - 888 are down another 6/7 p in London. BSS has issued a statement and asked for share trading to be stopped awaiting further information (the Company have not been able to contact their CEO directly). Partygaming are down 8% at 94 pence. Mid day prices.

BREAKING NEWS 2 on 18th Juky

Remember you got the news here first and now Partygaming were down to 82p (76 / 84 spread) at the close.

Mr Blair, speaking after private talks with United Nation Secretary General Kofi Annan, said: "The only way we are going to have a cessation of violence is if we have an international force deployed into that area.Presumably Tony Blair asked his "personal envoy" to the Middle East,Lord Levy, to clear this with Olmerede, now he is coccooned in his huge office next to the Secretary of State, late of Colindale nick after kidnapping by the Met, until a deal was agreed with the CPS to lay off prosecuting the Met Officers over the de Menezes murder. (Done deal announced BBC News 1.00pm today)

Sharp eyed readers may have noticed the United Nations Flag (presumably of UNFORS) in this picture of a policeman father holding up a dead child after the car was smashed by US made IAF missiles from a US F-16 fighter supplied and paid for by the US taxpayer.

David Carruthers CEO of BetOnSports (UK:BSS:), was detained by US federal authorities while switching flights en route to Costa Rica, where the company has call centers.

British online sites operate in the U.K., where such betting is legal (principally because the UK Gubment looked like losing it and the revenues offshore). However it is claimed up to 90% of their revenue comes from U.S. gamblers, where such gambling is illegal.

On the BetOnSports site, e.g 90% of bets are on the 3 major American sports American football, basketball and baseball which have a negligible following in the UK.BetOnSports are seeking "clarification" from US authorities.They say In particular, the Antigua-licenced gaming activities serviced in Costa Rica and Kuala Lumpur are operating as usual.

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would prohibit banks and credit card companies from processing payments for online bets. It would also prohibit gambling companies from accepting credit card or electronic transfer payments for online gambling.... except for horse racing.

Prospects in the Senate are uncertain, Banks don't welcome the role of policing card holders expenditure, and the holidays loom for lawmakers , President Bush is not said to be enthusiastic and an official statement voiced unspecified "concerns".